Wal-Mart Market Analysis Essay Example

Wal-Mart Market Analysis Wal-Mart is the second largest company in the world. Its focus is on mass merchandising as opposed to specialty merchandising. The idea behind mass merchandising is to offer products and services in one convenient store to better manage a consumer’s time. An example of how Wal-Mart mass merchandisers is by offering a multitude of products and services within one convenient store. They sell sporting goods, electronics, housing needs, clothing, groceries, consumables, and toiletries all in one convenient location. Similar to a mall, Wal-Mart meets all of its customers’ needs in one location. This is a very valuable ability because it allows the customer to have more control over his or her time. (Research and Markets, 2010) The company operates under three main operation segments. Its most common segment will be its Wal-Mart. The second common segment found in the United States is Sam’s Club. Sam’s club is similar to Wal-Mart except that it is larger in size and puts more emphasis on wholesale retail. They are more popular with businesses and large families. The company’s last segment consists of International stores. Though Wal-Mart has few locations outside the United States its name is widely known. (Research and Markets, 2010) Within the United States, Wal-Mart has a variety of mass merchandising locations. Wal-Mart’s products and services within each location are based on demographics and surrounding stores. Superstores, discount stores, and neighborhood markets are the three types of stores Wal-Mart might open, given a certain demographic. If a community is large and consists of multiple school districts and many families, Wal-Mart will consider opening a Superstore or neighborhood market. Within a neighborhood market, Wal-Mart offers lower pricing to compete with higher priced stores such as Targets, Kohls, ShopRites, ACMEs, and Super fresh. Even shopping malls competing with Wal-Mart. Discount stores are located in smaller